Bourne left me in Sweetieland at re-opening of New Wimbledon Theatre

Review by David Munro

LAST night, I returned for the first time in nearly two years
to the Wimbledon Theatre, or, I should say, the New
Wimbledon Theatre.

The Ambassador Theatre Group have taken over this theatrical
landmark and, under the tasteful and discreet control of Karin
Gartzke, have given the old girl a face lift and refurbishment
so that she sparkles as new.

From the moment you leave the station, and see the floodlights
highlighting the restored façade, you know that a minor
miracle has occurred, and this is confirmed when you enter the
freshly decorated and now friendly Foyer.

Gone is the old and somewhat down-at-heel air of the theatre
of yesterday.

No longer shabby, she has risen like a phoenix from the ashes,
to return to her original glory, with just a soupcon of modernisation
such as in the ladies' loos and a new and splendid Upper Circle
bar, with its view over Wimbledon.

A perfect example of how modernisation should be carried out,
where comfort and cleanliness go hand in hand with the historic
preservation of an old, yet worthwhile, building, without destroying
its original ambience. Congratulations Karin and thank you!

And now,you will be saying, tell me Mr Munro how did you enjoy
the play? To which Mr Munro must answer - very much.

I am no Balletomane and don't know my Pas de Quatre from my entrechat,
but I do know what I like, and I liked Mathew Bourne's Nutcracker
a lot.

Mathew Bourne, as many of you will already know, has taken the
old musty plot of a girl, a Christmas tree and a load of toys
and set his ballet in an orphans' home, from which the heroine,
Clara - danced last night by Shelby Williams - escapes to Sweetieland,
with the help of The Nutcracker - Adam Galbraith - who turns into
a prince, whom she loves and loses only to find, as did Dorothy,
that her prince and happiness were in the orphanage all the time.

The curtain then falls on her escaping with her orphan lover
through the orphanage window.

The scene in the orphanage, while one kept thinking of Annie,
Oliver or Love from Judy, was both touching and amusing;
the warden, Dr Cross James Leece, his wife, and the orphanage
matron, Rachel Luscombe, together with their children, Angeli
Metra and Philip Willingham, made a satisfying Dickensian quartet,
dominating and tormenting the orphans with gusto, so that when
they got their come-uppance in a brilliantly staged revolt a
la Miserables by the orphans - ending in a mock execution
- the audience applauded.

The warden and his family became the royal family of Sweetieland,
emphasising the dream element of the plot, and their choreography,
while echoing that of the first act, was less menacing and more
amusing.

Sweetieland, which is entered through a huge pink mouth, guarded
by a humbug bouncer, who refuses Clara admission, was the setting
for a series of divertissements for the company, representing
various sweets.

The scene is dominated by a huge wedding cake, reminiscent of
the finales of some of MGM's more extravagant musicals, on which
the cast are discovered as the climax of a transformation scene,
but Mathew Bourne has managed, while portraying the vulgarity
inherent in such a scene, to make it charming and amusing.

As I have said, I am no lover of the ballet, having been dragged
in my youth to all the classics, which left me with an urgent
desire to slaughter all swans and let sleeping princesses lie!

This early force-feeding of tu-tus and tippy toes did, however,
instil in me a certain appreciation of what is good in dancing,
and so last night I found myself actually enjoying the skills
of Mathew Bourne's brilliant company.

This may be, in part, because he has crossed over in many instances
from the classical to the Broadway style of dance, and melded
the two into a harmonious, or should it be choreographic, whole.

This was most evident in the ensemble routines of the orphans
in the first act, and some of the solos in the second; in particular,
the gobstoppers, who in their lycra-leather and crash helmets,
did a number which could have come straight from West Side
Story.

The story is enhanced by the sets and costumes of Anthony Ward.
The first scene, grey and white, transforms into an all-white
finale, preparing us for the highly-coloured Sweetieland of the
second act.

He provides, in addition, several touches of humour, which have
to be seen to be enjoyed.

The company were all excellent. Unfortunately, the programme
does not differentiate who is appearing on a particular night.
That information appears on a board in the Foyer, so I have not
been able to single out for praise the many soloists who so delighted
me with their artistry and talent.

I have made my position on ballet clear enough by now, but I
would emphasise that what Mathew Bourne has created is something
which, while couched in balletic form and language, is an entertaining,
witty and thoroughly delightful evening, which everyone, from
children to adults, can enjoy and only the purists can cavil at.

It is a wonderful opportunity to introduce children to the ballet
and if later, like me, they sicken at the longeurs of the Sylphides
and Sylvias, they will have had one good experience, at least,
of what ballet can be and what, I now believe, it should be.

This was a worthy show to grace the re-opening of a gracious
theatre and I advise all who have not already seen it to grab
your Oyster card and take a trip to Wimbledon and enchantment.
You won't be sorry!